Day 3

June 3, 2017

Whitehorse temps: 16/3

Skagway temps: 17/9 C

Transport: Car/Bus/Train

This day was long, and best described in pictures. Our bus driver and tour guide picked us up at the White Pass and Yukon Route rail station in Whitehorse at 8:30 am and kept us entertained enroute to the train station in Fraser, B.C., which also serves as the international border crossing into Alaska (Tip: Don't forget your passport).

We made stops along the way at Emerald Lake and Carcross, which is also home to Matthew Watson, Yukon’s oldest operating general store. We popped our heads in long enough to learn that they sell everything from kitschy RCMP souvenirs to real skins and furs.

Emerald Lake, scenic tour bus stop enroute to Carcross. Can you find the moose near the shoreline?  © Dan Silas 2017

Yukon's oldest operating general store. © Dan Silas 2017

From Fraser we travelled on the narrow gauge railway through the Tormented Valley and other seemingly impassable country traversed originally on foot by the most hardy and adventurous gold rush miners on their way to Dawson City via Skagway.

Tormented Valley © Dan Silas 2017

At the historical border crossing high in the mountains, Northwest Royal Mounted Police stopped every gold seeker and weighed their provisions to ensure they had the two tons needed to survive for a year. One tale has it that a miner was sent back to Skagway for being found one pound of butter short.

Historic Northwest Royal Mounted Police station somewhere in the remote mountains between  Whitehorse and Skagway © Dan Silas 2017

Enroute to Skagway via White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge rail © Dan Silas 2017

Just one of hundreds of spectacular views from the train © Dan Silas 2017

Skagway is a pretty little town on the one hand, and kitschy tourist town interrupted with high priced jewellery shops on the other. It’s a major cruise ship port of call, and we were advised to avoid the place on Tuesdays and Thursdays when up to six ships arrive on one day.

Downtown Skagway © Dan Silas 2017

Cruise ship port, Skagway, Alaska © Dan Silas 2017

In Skagway, the bus picked us up, stopping in Carcross again for a short rest stop. This time, the Carcross Commons shops were open. Carcross Commons is a collection of small shops and kiosks hawking everything from coffee and pastries to Indigenous art and crafts.

On the way back to Whitehorse via tour bus © Dan Silas 2017

Back in Whitehorse, hungry and tired and not wanting to a long wait for our supper, we choose the Panda Panda Noodle House for grub before hitting the sack. Huge servings, tasty, and very affordable. Be prepared to take home leftovers.